This invention relates generally to the field of monitoring and in particular to the monitoring of individuals with health concerns. More specifically, the invention relates to the use of a wireless transmitter that may be operated by a user to notify a monitoring center of the need for assistance.
There is currently a widespread need for individuals with health problems to be monitored. For example, many elderly people live alone and may be unable to reach a telephone and dial an emergency number in the event of a medical emergency. Even if capable of operating a telephone, many elderly people do not wish to be tied to the immediate vicinity of a telephone in case assistance is needed.
A variety of monitoring systems have been proposed for such circumstances. For instance, some systems include transmitters which are operated to send signals to a receiver which in turn calls a monitoring center. However, such known prior art transmitters transmit relatively weak signals, typically near 300 MHz. Due to the relatively weak signal, the user must stay relatively close to the receiving unit or else the signal will be unable to be detected. As such, if the user moves away from the receiver and requires assistance, the monitoring center will be unable to be notified.
Another problem with many such monitoring systems is that they are not very robust. For example, many systems employ a conventional 9 volt backup battery which has a relatively short life. Hence, in the case of a power loss, the receiver will quickly become disabled. Such systems may also be unable to detect if the transmitter is operational. Further, such systems may be limited in their programming abilities to limit the functionality of the system.
Hence, it would be desirable to provide an improved monitoring system and methods for its use which has a transmitter with a relatively large operating range. The system should also be robust so that it can operate for a significant amount of time during a power outage. Further, the system should have a wide range of programming capabilities to improve its versatility.